Three awards given to African journalists for their work in the field of the Ozone Layer Protection and Climate Change

Mahe, Seychelles, 22 June 2011 - In the glittering ceremony with the background Seychelleoise music, three creative journalists from Africa were awarded for their work media talents in the field of Ozone Layer Protection and Climate Change.

The newspaper article, “Ban on old fridges starts biting as NEMA swoops in”, written by Mr. Gerald Tenywa from Uganda, won the first place.

“Come 2010, time for ODS to go”, was the title of the article written by Mr. Busani Bafna, a well known environmental journalist from Zimbabwe, won the second place. Mr. Bafana who has written a number of stories on natural protection is planning to embark on writing a book on “African stories on the Montreal Protocol”.

Mr. Frazer Potani from Malawi won the third place for his article, “When Climate Change is witchcraft” which tells the story that links the African tradition of witchcraft to climate change and provides the strong message of how human beings are responsible for the damaging changes.

Each of the journalists –who are also part of the African Network of the Environmental Journalists, informed the audience that the awards are very encouraging to them for focusing more on the African environmental issues. “Africa is the least contributor to the global environmental problems but we suffer the most and will in future face the bigger disasters due to our inadequate capacity to manage climate change”, Mr. Bafana said. He sent a strong message to the world to take urgent steps to reverse climate change.

The prizes were given by Mr. D. Dogley, Principle Secretary from the Ministry of Environment of Seychelles, Mr. Agricole, from the Center of Environmental Science and Development and Rajendra Shende, Head, OzonAction Programme.

“The Media has made yeoman’s contribution to the cause of Ozone Layer Protection , by coining the term OZONE HOLE way back in the 1980s. That shook the world to act and launch the global operation to preserve the ozone layer. The Media is yet to shake the world to take action on climate change by coining the similar term” said Mr. Shende.

23 entries were received by the jury under the competition which will now be held annually by the Regional Office of Africa and OzonAction CAP.